Low end deer rifle duel

Flashpoint

Flashpoint

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Which is better for a 100yd deer rifle around here, 243 or 300BLK?

Just bought a 300BLK bolt, just curious how it stacks up.
 
.243 will give you more range, but as stated, if your shots are going to be 100 yds or less the .300blk will work fine. The .30 cal Barnes bullet really hammers them. I have shot several with that bullet in the +/- 70 yard range and seemed to do a fine job of killing them.
 
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Remshooter said:
.243 will give you more range, but as stated, if your shots are going to be 100 yds or less the .300blk will work fine. The .30 cal Barnes bullet really hammers them. I have shot several with that bullet in the +/- 70 yard range and seemed to do a fine job of killing them.
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Agreed. Suppressed 300blk with barnes boolits within 100 yards is fabulous!

243 if you may need to stretch it out and want way more range.
 
Flashpoint said:
Which is better for a 100yd deer rifle around here, 243 or 300BLK?

Just bought a 300BLK bolt, just curious how it stacks up.
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The .243 is an all-around better rifle in every way except capacity. The .300 is better suppressed and has a high capacity in an AR. In a bolt gun, that advantage goes away.
Also has a marginally better selection of bullets if you are a reloader.

At 100yds, either is fine and if you own a suppressor you'll be getting the most out of a 220gr .300BLK
 
Ikarus1 said:
The .243 is an all-around better rifle in every way except capacity. The .300 is better suppressed and has a high capacity in an AR. In a bolt gun, that advantage goes away.
Also has a marginally better selection of bullets if you are a reloader.

At 100yds, either is fine and if you own a suppressor you'll be getting the most out of a 220gr .300BLK
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Don't count out the benefits of a suppressed 300blk bolt gun. Loaded correctly, it's almost movie quiet.
 
As long as we aren't talking about suppressed subsonic 220 gr rounds from a .300BLK. That's less energy than a .45 ACP and anybody who wants to take that kind of shot at up to 100 yards is unethical and has no business being in the woods.

Now if we're talking about high quality, supersonic rounds designed to open up at the velocities pertinent to .300BLK, then it's a different conversation.

I have hunted with a 6.8 SPC, and have no problem with people using AR15 cartridges to take deer within the 100 yd range. But the person who does so has to know what they're doing, and know the limitations of what they're doing.
 
BurnedOutGeek said:
Don't count out the benefits of a suppressed 300blk bolt gun. Loaded correctly, it's almost movie quiet.
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Yup. That's the real reason I bought it. Hunting is a possible 2nd use for it, and would be with full power ammo.

I actually had this same gun already (Ruger American) and was working up sub loads for it but was out of work for many months and sold most of my guns. I'm just rebuilding now. BTW, anyone want to buy a 300BLK upper? I got spoiled with how quiet the bolt was, and I hate chasing brass.
 
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I have no xp with 243, but I really like my 300blk, so versitile
 
Ikarus1 said:
The .243 is an all-around better rifle in every way except capacity.
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Even as a brush gun? I've heard people say the 243 is the bottom end for deer, and the 30-30 is some deer killing legend, and then compare the 300blk to 30-30. Not all from the same people though.

Maybe it was more like they compare the 7.62x39 to 30-30, and then the 300blk to x39, both of which are a small step down.
 
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Flashpoint said:
Even as a brush gun? I've heard people say the 243 is the bottom end for deer, and the 30-30 is some deer killing legend, and then compare the 300blk to 30-30. Not all from the same people though.

Maybe it was more like they compare the 7.62x39 to 30-30, and then the 300blk to x39, both of which are a small step down.
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I dont believe in the myth of a brush gun. I own a 35 Rem and like it but its no magic wand when aiming thru brush. Any bullet that strikes an object at supersonic speed will react to it. Come to think of it, larger bullets would hit more brush.

.243 being the bottom for deer? Nah. Maybe at 300yds. People use pistols for big game, and the ballistics of those dont come close.

My sons Savage youth model .243 has put meat in the cooler and heads on the wall too many times.

And no chopsaws, annealeez, or forming dies are needed to reload for it
 
Ikarus1 said:
I dont believe in the myth of a brush gun. I own a 35 Rem and like it but its no magic wand when aiming thru brush. Any bullet that strikes an object at supersonic speed will react to it. Come to think of it, larger bullets would hit more brush.

.243 being the bottom for deer? Nah. Maybe at 300yds. People use pistols for big game, and the ballistics of those dont come close.

My sons Savage youth model .243 has put meat in the cooler and heads on the wall too many times.

And no chopsaws, annealeez, or forming dies are needed to reload for it
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You know you can buy factory 300 ammo and factory brass right???

(I know you do, just making a funny)
 
BurnedOutGeek said:
You know you can buy factory 300 ammo and factory brass right???

(I know you do, just making a funny)
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We aint all hiding money like you fancy pants IT admins....

BTW just picked up my first stray 300BLK brass at a range last month. Was like finding gold in the creek.
 
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Ikarus1 said:
We aint all hiding money like you fancy pants IT admins....
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I take offense to that statement!

I sir, am no IT admin, I actually can do some work rather than blame someone else for why shits broke. You know, like the database guy, it's always his fault.
 
Ikarus1 said:
I dont believe in the myth of a brush gun. I own a 35 Rem and like it but its no magic wand when aiming thru brush. Any bullet that strikes an object at supersonic speed will react to it. Come to think of it, larger bullets would hit more brush.
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Agreed!

I had a nice 8 point running broadside at about 15 yards. The bead was right where it is supposed to be when I touched off a 12 ga. slug. The scrub was mostly Hickory. I found where the slug hit a branch about the size of my pinky. I then found another fresh cut branch. It deflected at least 20°.

That one got away without so much as a scratch.
 
Ikarus1 said:
I dont believe in the myth of a brush gun. I own a 35 Rem and like it but its no magic wand when aiming thru brush. Any bullet that strikes an object at supersonic speed will react to it. Come to think of it, larger bullets would hit more brush.

.243 being the bottom for deer? Nah. Maybe at 300yds. People use pistols for big game, and the ballistics of those dont come close.

My sons Savage youth model .243 has put meat in the cooler and heads on the wall too many times.

And no chopsaws, annealeez, or forming dies are needed to reload for it
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Don't be knocking my little baby brass chopsaw, Annealeez, and forming dies. You forgot the Dillon trimmer that goes with them :)
 
All I know is that the .243 is one of the best wildcats ever to be made into a commercial hunting cartridge, if not the best. The .300BLK is a 'niche' SBR cartridge that's biggest claim to fame is that it fits in an AR.
Move to bolt action and it's a whole 'nuther ballgame.

Like previous posters have said, 220gr Subs at 100yds is basically a slippery .45ACP, energy wise.
So then you're looking at using each one's heaviest commerical supersonic loads:

300BLK: 125s @ 2,215 ft/s (675 m/s) 1,360 ft·lbf

vs

.243 Win 105 gr (7 g) Amax BT @ 3,025 ft/s (922 m/s) 2,134 ft·lbf

load 90gr barnes into both and see which one comes out on top, from sheer case volume.

.300BLK=2,550 ft/s (780 m/s) 1,300 ft·lbf

.243 = 3,203 ft/s (976 m/s) 2,051 ft·lbf

800ft/lbs of energy either way. Almost like giving up an entire .44 mag 240gr worth.

Case volume wins. 6mm wins the aerodynamics race
 
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BurnedOutGeek said:
Hahahahahaha - so true!

Although they get to sitonass and take concalls all day that I would MUCH rather not have to deal with.

@Jayne
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Why are you dragging me into this? I'm no PM.... I'm worse.... I work in "sales". After 4 years I can actually say that without throwing up a little.
 
BurnedOutGeek said:
Hahahahahaha - so true!

Although they get to sitonass and take concalls all day that I would MUCH rather not have to deal with.
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It's not all it's cracked up to be...;)

Although, being able to load mags and get other stuff done while wandering around the house with a headset on ain't all that bad.

But you're also depending on other people to actually do work, and that gets REAL frustrating at times.

The better job was when I was a process manager/pseudo-industrial engineer. We did time in motion studies. I literally got paid to watch other people work...every day of the week, for months on end. And got to pick my location. Last batch of traveling was 12 days in Alaska, and a week each in Seattle and Portland. (Which made my 47th-49th states to visit)



That being said...supersonic 300BLK is fine. I have a 16" rifle if anybody ever wants to test it out. (Also have 10", so if you have a pistol/SBR lower, it could be tested). If I was ever going to hunt, thought...the 12" 6.8 would be in woods with me.
 
Either is fine for 0-100. I'd probably go with heavier bullets. A quality expanding bullet that will still hold together for penetrating is far more important than which of those calibers you are going to use being it's under 100 yards. If we were talking o-200 I'd give the nod to the 243.
 
.243 all the way. Nuff said. Close thread.

And if you are looking to kill deer at 100 yards or less, learn to hunt and use a shotgun with buckshot and shoot them at 35 yards. :D
 
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My brother in law shot a nice ten pointer. When we skinned him out for butchering, we found nine circular scars in a perfect six inch pattern right behind his shoulder. A few of the pellets went past the ribs but none got into the lungs. He recovered fully.

For all you buckshot hunters, how far away would you be to get a six inch group? I'm guessing inside twenty yards but don't really know.

If that bead had been in the exact same spot with a slug, the shooter would have tagged a nice wall hanger.

Buckshot is for home defense only in my house.
 
Don said:
That's what I've heard. But you've pretty much got to reload don't you? I don't see much commercial 260 Rem available.
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Absolutely.

If federal had got off their collective derriers and release the 260 FGMM they could have cleaned up. Instead they lost out and the creedmoors took flight.
 
Howland said:
My brother in law shot a nice ten pointer. When we skinned him out for butchering, we found nine circular scars in a perfect six inch pattern right behind his shoulder. A few of the pellets went past the ribs but none got into the lungs. He recovered fully.

For all you buckshot hunters, how far away would you be to get a six inch group? I'm guessing inside twenty yards but don't really know.

If that bead had been in the exact same spot with a slug, the shooter would have tagged a nice wall hanger.

Buckshot is for home defense only in my house.
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Same goes with bow hunters. I've skinned many a deer with a broadhead scar through them. That's why I do not allow bowhunting on my land. But I digress.
 
Tailhunter said:
Dang rabbit hunters, buckshot?

Any caliber will kill a deer under 100 yards.

The question is, do you want it "sack of potatoes" dead or do you want to track it a mile.
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Shot placement.

High shoulder or neck shots is less than 3 yards, those lung and heart shots can run 50+
 
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